Legend of Korra- Book 3: Balance
by Guardian of the crest
Summary: Unalaq and Vatuu are gone. Vanquished by the Avatar. The Spirit World has been opened and the world is being ushered into a new age. But a force from a forgotten era now stirs and threatens to bring both worlds crashing down. After all... Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can only change shape.
1. Prologue

Gotc: Hello, hello, hello LoK fans! I'm GotC and while this is my first LoK story, I've been around for several years now. This idea has been buzzing around in my head ever since the season 2 finale, and after looking through the archives, I was surprised to see no one had thought of this yet. I'm not telling you what "this" is just yet, but read on and you may get a few hints! This plans on being a rather lengthy story and I'll be trying to do one or two updates a week, so buckle up and get ready to come along for the ride!

Disclaimer: I do not own AtLA or LoK, and it's probably a good thing I don't.

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_**Legend of Korra**_

_**Book 3: Balance**_

_**Chapter 0: Prologue**_

_ Energy cannot be created or destroyed. This is a law of the universe that stands true above all others. For energy to be used, it must be taken. Fire, comes from the breath. Earth, forms from the body. Water, flows from the heart. Air, blows through the mind. _

_ But raw power...is drawn from the spirit._

Republic City.. Home of the last of the Airbenders, melting pot of the four nations, pride of the late Avatar Aang. From the great buildings rising along the shores of it's sheltered bay, to the iconic arena where the greatest Benders of the era gather to test their strength, the city is place known the world over as a shining beacon of hope and prosperity.

But even the brightest lights the city can muster are not enough to pierce the heavy fog that rolled off of the ocean to seep through the streets. Instead, it's residents retreat to the warm sanctuary of their homes. Even the criminal element leaves their activities for another night, for fear of blundering right into the laps of the ever-present law enforcement. As such, only the lowest, and most destitute of the city's inhabitants remain on the streets, taking shelter wherever they can find it.

The leaden veil of the fog is not enough to hide a woman as she paced the streets, through buildings forgotten by the continuous march of progress. Thin, pale fingers clutched at the clasp of her cloak, as if it were to fail at any moment and allow the garment to slip away from her shoulders. Calm and measured steps echoed harshly against the crumbling walls of the buildings around her, earning her a bleary-eyed look from a man curled up against some trashcans in a nearby alley. She couldn't make out his words as he grumbled his way back to sleep, but the sound of a second set of footsteps were unmistakeable.

She turned sharply down the alley, nearly stepping on the man in the process. An edge of urgency echoed in every footfall, as her pace quickened in response. Even so, the sound of strange footsteps reached her ears, no matter how she twisted and turned in the city's maze of streets and buildings. They were following her, of that she had no doubt, but they continued to keep their distance. They sped up and slowed as she did, always keeping the veil of fog between them as they haunted her every move.

And to make matters worse, the sound of more following feet were finding their way to her by the minute. At times, she could almost make out the vague silhouette of a person along the edges of her vision. The realization struck home then. They were herding her. To where, she had no idea, but she'd come to the city hoping to lose them in the stone and mortar. Instead, she'd played right into their hand.

She took another step more and came to a halt in the middle of the street, a streetlight nearby casting a cold, and ghostly light into the fog around her. She might not be able to lose them, but she would not willingly be ushered around like a lamb to the slaughter.

"I certainly hope you weren't trying to remain hidden, Jal." She said, raising her voice to the shadows creeping behind her, as she reached up and pulled her hood back, "I've known you were following me since the river."

Long, silken hair the color of ash wood spilled across her shoulders, no longer confined by the hood. Eyes, the shade of new leaves after a rainstorm, scanned the fog around her a moment, before they fixated on a single spot in the mist. It was only a moment more before the mist there took the form of a man with a devil's grin on his face. The shadows seemed reluctant to leave him, the ebony shine of his short hair melding seamlessly into the darkness. Even his face bore a black mark, running in cruel lines from the curve of his jaw to the bridge of his nose, cutting across amused auburn eyes.

"I expected no less from you, Rinowa." He spoke with an easy familiarity, despite the hostile glare she leveled in his direction, "Never met anyone that could get the drop on you. You've got eye's like an eagle hawk-"

He was cut off by a single fluid motion and a flash of silver missing his head by a breath. A knife wobbled back and forth, with its point embedded solidly in the mortar. Jal looked at the knife appreciatively for a moment, before turning back to her.

"And the temper of a rhino lion." He chuckled, pushing one hand through his hair to smooth it back.

"I don't think you've spent the better part of the last two days hunting me just to exchange pleasantries," Rinowa snapped straightening herself and reaching beneath her cloak again, "I thought I'd made it clear I'd erase you and your ilk from the world if you ever crawled out of your holes again."

"Tsk tsk... Such harsh words..." Jal said, mock hurt in his voice, "You speak as if you aren't one of us yourself."

"Our ancestors would weep if they only knew the kind of disgrace you've brought upon our clan." She spat bitterly at his feet, "You are no kin of mine."

"Hmm... Now that's a shame." Jal said with a resigned sigh, the mild disappointment on his face in odd disproportion to the anger and disgust in Rinowa's, "And here I was hoping you would willingly cooperate for a change. Things always go so much smoother than when you have to force someone..."

"If you think you can make me..." Rinowa smirked, almost amused by the idea, "Then by all means... I'd love to see the kind of power you hold that swayed our clan to your deranged ideals."

"Did you know the Avatar is coming to Republic City tomorrow?" Jal said, the change of topic taking her off guard a moment, "To speak about the integration of the two worlds... It's almost funny, isn't it?"

Movement caught her eye, but it wasn't Jal. A new figure rushed from the haze, the grays of his clothes making him nearly invisible against the dreary backdrop. But not intangible. Rinowa lithely twisted to one side, swinging up a leg to catch him about the middle and slam her attacker to the ground with enough force to crack the pavement. She looked up in time to find Jal nearly breathing down her neck, swinging a blow for her neck. She threw up an arm in time to block him, but the force behind his strike jarred her through to the core.

She struck back at him with her free arm, forcing him to back away. She shook her head in an attempt to clear it, worry starting to creep into the pit of her stomach as he started her down with that same, cocky grin. But there was more to it now, a kind of hunger that made the very air around them feel thicker than it should have been. She didn't have time to dwell on it though, before another figure lunged at her from the shadows.

This time, Jal didn't wait for her to dispatch the new foe, before he was on the attack again. Rinowa all but dove out of the way of Jal's assault, using the momentum to trust the ball of her foot into the newcomer's chin, before bringing her foot down on top of Jal's fist sailing toward her. Using the opening, Rinowa managed to land a solid strike to the hollow of his neck. Sputtering and hacking, Jal stumbled backward, but before Rinowa could continue her assault, one of the fallen assailants had found their feet again and struck her hard in the small of her back. Rinowa buckled forward and met the pavement face first, but had enough wits about her to roll to the side in time to dodge the heavy blow aimed at her head. Her own fist found its mark, and the snap of tendon and bone that accompanied her treatment of her attacker's elbow gave her hope that she'd not need to worry about him any longer-

A searing pain turned the world around her white for a moment. She heard a scream from somewhere, only vaguely realizing she was the one screaming. She tried to roll onto her hand and knees, only dazedly recognizing she'd been thrown almost 20 feet. Her muscles felt like jelly as they tried to support her. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jal striding toward her again, shadows trailing after him more alive than they should have been.

She forced herself onto unsteady legs and pulled a deep breath into her lungs to anchor herself again. With one hand she pulled at the clasp holding her cloak and let it fall away, leaving only the emerald green dress beneath it to cover her form. It was hardly made for fighting in, though the garment had obviously been tailored with that possible situation in mind. Long slits ran along her thighs, leaving her legs free to move, and the upper portion had been given much of the same treatment. Thin straps held the dress up, and the bulk of the material began just above the top curve of her breasts, displaying the curling mark tattooed on her skin just above her heart. The material itself clung to her like a second skin, tight but not restrictive.

Rinowa could feel Jal's eyes on her, watching her with a predatory gleam. She needed to get out of here. He'd landed one blow, and it had floored her, a second might be the end. She scanned the area around her and quickly realized why she'd been herded to this spot. The alleys led to dead ends, and the main street was the only way to run. Her fingers absentmindedly brushed the mark over her heart, as Jal continued to advance.

"That's it...Let it go. You know you don't stand a chance without it..." Hungry indeed. Jal sounded as if he could have devoured the whole of the city and still been hungry for seconds in that instant, "Not that you do with it... The tables have shifted at last, and now there's _nothing_ left standing in our way..."

Rinowa only had time to blink before Jal's nose was a hair's breadth from her own.

"Except...you."

She made up her mind then, releasing the breath she'd been holding and felt the rush of energy spread through her limbs as it left her. Jal's face lit up with a venomous green light, before Rinowa struck him hard in the chest, crackling green energy seizing his body as Rinowa lunged forward again. She moved in twirling arcs of lesser and greater circles, the zig-zag of electric green trailing her fingertips as she moved. In close to Jal she spun, weaving through the writhing mass of shadow that surrounded him. She brought down one hand against the mass of shadow, only to have it shriek in pain and dissolve against the pavement in a crackle of green light.

Her vision spun even as she did, and the burst of renewed vigor was already beginning to fade away. She could see Jal now, through the living tangle of shadow. She had to end this now, before her body failed her completely. He was there, within arm's reach now, and the shadows had parted ;leaving their master exposed in a single critical moment. Rinowa turned, pooling the last of her strength to strike Jal down when his form melted into a blob of shadow, and something hit her square in the chest with a dull thump.

The world seemed to be moving much too slow as she turned to see Jal standing there, his hand wrapped around the hilt of the knife she'd thrown at him earlier. The blade itself, was buried straight through the mark on her chest. Her arms fell limply to her sides and the strength in her legs failed as she stared at the knife in her chest, before Jal pulled it free. His hands caught her slumping form gently and laid her against the ground, while sticky crimson seeped unchecked from her wound. The fog seemed to be creeping closer to her now, it's chill pressing in on her skin and clouding her vision. She could only just make out Jal kneeling over her. Air was becoming tight in her lungs and she couldn't manage to pull more in as the world started to fade. She looked up at Jal, as he reached out a hand to smooth an errant strand of her hair back and smiled.

"Shhhh... Your job isn't over... I told you I needed you help, and now, your death is going to bring the Avatar right to my front door..."

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Gotc: BUAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Well, I shouldn't be enjoying that death as much as I am, but I'm excited for what's soon to come. Pairings are not yet set in stone, though I do like Makkora and may lean that way in future chapters. Anyway, If you liked it, hated it, or even just had some thoughts, please let me know via reviews (FYI: Reviews are to authors like catnip is to cats). I'd really like to continue this story, but will only do so if there's interest, so take a moment, drop me a line and I'll get to writing the next installment! Laters!


	2. Message

Gotc: Heya heya everyone!I'm back with another chapter! Well, really the first ACTUAL chapter, but that's neither here nor there! The good thing is while the last chapter was very OC heavy, now that our stage has been set, the characters you know and love will all be making an appearance! So lets get started, shall we?

Disclaimer: I do not own LoK or AtLA. If its a character you've not heard of before though? Probably mine.

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_**Legend of Korra**_

_**Book 3: Balance**_

_**Chapter 1: Message**_

"It's Korra! It's Korra! It's Korra!"

Even in the middle of the perpetually busy Yue Bay, Korra could hear Meelo's energetic voice announcing her arrival to anyone and everyone in earshot. From the bow of the ship, she could see the gathering waiting for her at the harbor docks, the bright robes of the Airbending family by far the most welcome sight among them.

It had been months since she'd seen any of them. Republic City had dissolved into chaos during Vatuu's attack, and no sooner had the most pressing issues in the South Pole been settled, Tenzin had left to help bring the city back to order. Which left her to deal with the daunting task of putting the last of the quarrels between the two Water Tribes to rest, helping her father appease the dissenters of his new found rank, and reassemble the physical damage caused by the Northern Tribe forces during their occupation. Rebuilding the South Pole had taken weeks; the political repairs, twice as long.

She preferred the backbreaking work of the repairs to the mind-numbing negotiations any day.

Even so, the stress of the last few months seemed distant as the proud buildings of Republic City rose to the sky above her. A rush of nostalgia hit her, as she recalled her first trip to the city. The awe at setting foot into such a place seemed like it would never fade away, no matter how many times she saw this sight. The South Pole might be her home, but this city would always hold a special place in her heart.

"KORRA!"

Korra managed a single step onto the docks, before she was mobbed by three eager, airbending cyclones. Meelo was quite content to cement himself to Korra's back while Jinora and Ikki attached themselves to each hip, all three firing questions at her so fast she could hardly tell when one sentence ended and turned into the next.

"We missed you Korra!"

"Was the boat ride fun?"

"Did you get seasick like mom does?"

"Do you want to see Poki's new trick?"

"Are you going to be staying on Air Temple Island with us again?"

"We should have am air scooter race!"

If only the politicians could talk like them.

"Easy guys! Easy!" Korra laughed, dragging all three along the dock with her, " It's so good to see all of you! I'm going to be staying for a while! We'll have lots of fun while I'm here, I promise!"

"Better be careful saying _that_ around our resident stick-in-the-mud!" The former commander of the United Forces guffawed as he pushed his way to the front of the line and caught Korra up in a bear hug, kids and all. The kids squealed in unison as their Uncle Bumi hoisted the four off the ground with his enthusiasm.

"I am _not_ a stick-in-the-mud!" Tenzin protested, tucking his hands back into the sleeves of his robe as he tried to readjust his composure, " Now come along children, Korra's got a busy day and you can't be pestering her the whole time. You too, Bumi."

"Awwww..." The kids whined in unison, as Bumi set them all back down.

"What'd I tell ya'?" He chuckled a bit, nudging his elbow into Korra's ribs and earning a broad smile for his troubles.

"Don't be so hard on him, he's actually right about that." Korra said lightly, her voice bubbling with laughter, as she gave her airbending master a quick hug, "I'm supposed to speak about the integration of the Two Worlds today."

"Yes, as well as cut the ribbon for the re-dedication ceremony of the city park." Tenzin said, as a satisfied smile spread behind his goatee, "It's going to be the first site in the city for humans and spirits to interact on equal ground! It'll be like a little piece of the Spirit World right here in the city!"

"It sounds wonderful," Korra agreed, as Naga padded down the gangplank and onto the docks after her master, "I'm glad to hear people are accepting the idea so well."

"For the most part, yes." Tenzin nodded, though a hint of exasperation made its way into his voice, "Though there's still a few who have made a point of letting everyone know they want nothing to do with the spirits at all."

"Eh," Bumi shrugged, "You can't please everyone, Little Bro. Don't let it worry you too much or your beard will start falling out like your hair did!"

Korra had to fake a coughing fit to hide the laugh at the blustered and indignant look on Tenzin's face. It felt good to be back indeed.

"Come on kids! What do ya' say Uncle Bumi treats you to some ice cream before we head home so your old man and Korra can get their 'important schedule' taken care of? I can take Naga with us back to Air Temple Island if you like, so she can stretch out after that long boat ride."

"Thanks Bumi, I'm sure we both appreciate that," Korra nodded, giving Naga a pat on the head before letting him lead her away.

"Well then, now that that's all taken care of," Tenzin sighed in relief as his brother and children clamored off into the distance, "We should make our way to the park before the ceremony begins and give you a tour before your speech! I've got a streetcar coming to pick us up... Ah! There they are."

Korra looked up to see the sleekest looking streetcar she'd ever seen come speeding into view. The thing was definitely a work of art, and was built for speed from the tires up. Even as it came to a screeching halt the vehicle looked almost out of place parked and sitting still, though the familiar figure that tumbled out of the passenger door couldn't have been happier to be on solid, unmoving ground again.

"Told you we could make it in ten minutes, Bolin," Asami's voice drifted to Korra's ears from the other side of the vehicle before the Future Industries owner stepped out of the driver's seat, "Hey Korra! Long time no see!"

"Asami? Bolin?" Korra beamed, running up to meet her friends and help Bolin back up to his feet, "What are you two doing here?"

"You...In town...Missed...Speech..." Bolin panted each syllable in a way that almost made her dizzy to listen to. Not that she blamed him. Even Pabu was still curled around his neck, looking rather green despite his fiery red fur, making her wonder just _how_ fast Asami must have been going to get here...

"What Bolin is trying to say is, Tenzin told us you were going to be heading back to town, so we offered to give you a lift," Asami said nonchalantly, chuckling a bit as Bolin tried recomposing himself, "Plus, after your speech I thought we could go out for a night on the town! Figured you could use a break for a change."

"That sounds amazing." Korra admitted. She'd been so busy with the reconstruction, she hadn't exactly had much time to think about anything else. Now that she was thinking about it, the weeks of being constantly on the go threatened to catch up with her all at once.

"Cool, hop in and we'll head to the park then!" Asami said cheerfully, ducking back into the car, while even the greenish color drained from Bolin's face.

"Wait, now? So soon? I mean, ha ha, Korra just got here and...I dunno... shouldn't we like, take a walk, maybe catch up a bit-"

"Calm down Bolin," Asami laughed, the car turning over with a rumbling purr of the engine, "We've got plenty of time to get to the park. I'll take it nice and slow this time."

"If you say so..." Bolin sighed in resignation, as the three climbed into the car before it headed off down the street again.

Korra settled herself comfortably in the backseat next to Tenzin, who looked just as anxious as Bolin did about traveling by car rather than sky bison. Still, it warmed her heart to think, that despite his rather rigid personality, he'd gone out of his way to give her the chance to see her friends even with all the schedules and obligations.

"So what have you guys been up to?" Korra asked as the car zipped along the streets of the city. Bolin still looked as if he'd still like to be going a bit slowed, but he wasn't quite so green anymore.

"Well, despite being a grade-A nutcase, Varrick's been a great business partner for the company," Asami said with a smile, "Sales are up and the company's rebounding like you wouldn't believe! R&D's working overtime cranking out new ideas and half of them should be ready for large scale production in the next year!"

"Yeah! Aaaand," Bolin cut in excitedly, "Asami and Varrick have put me in charge of wooing the masses with my natural talent to promote all the new stuff they're turning out! Varrick's even thinking about making more movers! Starring yours truly, of course."

Korra couldn't help but laugh as Bolin wiggled his eyebrows, making both Tenzin and Pabu groan in embarrassment for him.

"I don't understand why people can't be content with a good book!" Tenzin huffed, shaking his head.

Korra rolled her eyes at the comment, and gave her airbending teacher a light shove. Bolin hadn't seemed to hear though and continued to rattle on, undeterred.

"He's wanting to make a whole bunch of them, I guess the Ember Island Players did a play about Avatar Aang he wants to turn into a mover. With more historical accuracy of course!" Bolin added in hurriedly, "He even tried to convince Mako to play Prince Zuko! Mako told him no though, said he was too busy, but how cool would that have been huh? Two brothers on the big screen! Adored by throngs of adorning fans-"

Bolin cut off sharply as Asami jabbed him in the side. He opened his mouth to complain, but was met instead with a sharp glare, as Asami jerked her head back in Korra's direction. The smile had fallen from the Avatar's face and her eyes were cast down to the floorboards. Bolin's own enthusiasm drained away with a soft "oh" as he realized his mistake.

Korra tried to brush off the comment, but the empty feeling that manifested in her stomach at the mention of Mako's name just kept gnawing away at her. Everyone else had come to see her, but maybe it had been too much to hope for that he would have been there too. She knew it had been her idea to stop their relationship, but was it asking too much to keep their friendship intact?

"Chief Beifong has kept Mako pretty busy," Asami said, reading the look on Korra's face with astounding clarity, "None of us have seen much of him since we got back from the South Pole. In fact, the only time we _do_ see him is in the papers. People are saying he might be in the running to succeed Chief Beifong if she ever retires."

"Sounds like things are going well for him at least." Korra tried to keep her voice light, but failed to force the same enthusiasm she'd had moments before, as she turned and looked out the window at the city passing them by.

An uncomfortable silence settled in the car, with no one able to think of anything more to say to break it. The only relief was it didn't last long, as the park came into view as they rounded a corner. However, it only took a single glance to see something was _very_ wrong.

Police had swarmed the park in droves. The tell-tale uniforms of the metalbending squads had formed a perimeter around the area, keeping everyone else out. The press, present to attend the Avatar's speech, now hounded anyone and everyone bearing a RCPD badge.

"What on earth is going on here?" Tenzin said, his confusion at the odd situation speaking for everyone in the car.

"I don't know," Korra frowned, as Asami brought the car to a halt, "But I'm going to find out."

All four piled out of the car hand headed right for the nearest cluster of reporters. The dull roar of a dozen reporters all talking over one another, and each demanding to be heard was almost deafening, as they drew nearer, but the reason behind it became clear as Lin Beifong stood at attention with two officers at her side. Korra felt her heart skip a beat as she recognized one of the men with the Chief of Police.

Mako.

"Be quiet all of you!" Beifong snapped at the knot of reporters all shoving their way closer to her, "We don't know anything yet, and the scene is still under investigation! All the information we have right now is that the Avatar's speech had been canceled and the dedication ceremony has been delayed until further notice!"

"Delayed?" Korra raised her voice, after shoving her way past two reporters to get to the front, "Why? What's going on?"

The second she'd opened her mouth, Korra was instantly sorry she'd done so. The reporters that had been so intently tuned in on the police chief now rounded on her. Recording devices, notebooks, pens and pencils were instantly in her face ready to record every syllable out of her mouth, as they looked to her for the answers the police refused to give. It lasted only an instant, before two metal belts parted the crowd around her and left an open path through the barricade.

"Move it you four!" Lin ordered over the the sudden rush of protests, as she held the press back, "Mako, take them inside and debrief them now!"

"Yes ma'am," Mako snapped to attention briefly, before hurrying the four behind the living wall of metal benders.

Korra's heart jumped into her throat as she felt Mako grab hold of her arm and guide them all inside. Even through the gloves of his uniform, his hands still felt warm and left her skin tingling where he'd touched her...

No. Focus.

"Is someone going to explain why the _entire_ Republic City police force is crawling all over this park?" Korra demanded, once the reporters were well behind them, "Or better yet, _why_ the dedication ceremony has been canceled?"

"The messenger didn't tell you?" Mako said, surprise in his voice.

"What messenger? My boat arrived in Republic City less than an hour ago! We headed here so I could make sure everything was set up for the dedication!" Korra waved her hands in the direction the ceremony was supposed to take place, "Now I'm here and there are police everywhere like someone's been murdered!"

"Someone has." Lin said sharply, striding up behind them. The entire group fell silent as she walked right through the group, beckoning for them to follow along in her wake, "She's still a Jane Doe at this point. Found early this morning by the workers who came to set up the speakers for your speech."

Even if every metalbender on the force was keeping the area secure, it was nothing compared to the sheer number of police and detectives inside. The park made a small valley where a stream cut through the middle, and had been selected as the dedication site. Now, it was unrecognizable behind the yellow crime tape, and intermittent flash of light that signaled another photo had been taken for evidence.

"The entire area had been cordoned off by my men two days ago," Beifong said, obvious irritation in her voice, "No one in or out but authorized personnel. We were trying to prevent any dissenters of the Spirit World integration from coming in an vandalizing the place."

The four froze in horror as the stage for the ceremony came into view. There on the front of the podium, a woman had been chained, arms spread in a cruel imitation of a welcoming embrace. A deep red stain over her heart had dried almost black and blossomed out like a great flower across the vibrant green of her dress.

"We weren't expecting this." Beifong sighed.

"Do you know her?" Mako asked, turning to Korra, "We've got a theory that maybe the two of your met and someone was trying to send you a message. That's why they brought her here, where they knew you were going to be."

"Brought her?" Tenzin balked in shock, "You mean to tell me that not only did someone kill this young woman, but they brought her body here to be disgraced like this?!"

"That's what it looks like," Lin said regretfully, "There's no evidence of a struggle, or any indication that she was killed here."

"Savages." Tenzin spat angrily, almost shaking because of it, "I knew there were people that didn't like the idea of the spirits living in our world again, but to go this far..."

Tenzin's voice faded into the background as Korra stepped closer to where the police were working to free the woman's body from the chains that held her. She could see the green of her eyes, misted over without the fire of life to keep them bright and clear. She could see the way her face had frozen in death, not scared or angry, but utterly sad and heartbroken as if she might cry at any moment. Korra found her own heart aching for this woman, unable to understand why she'd had to die like this...

"I don't recognize her," Korra said at last, stopping Tenzin's tirade as she hugged her arms around herself to ward off the chilling feeling that had settled over them.

"How about the rest of you?" Lin asked, turning to the other three, "Maybe someone you'd met or dealt with in the past?"

The same murmur of "no's" came from each in turn, as the police finally managed to free the woman and lowered her body onto a waiting gurney.

"What will happen to her now?" Korra found herself asking as she looked on.

"We'll take her back to headquarters, and see if her attacker left any evidence on her we can use to track them down," Lin said folding her hands behind her back, "We'll try to figure out who she was, and contact her family, and failing that, the city will pay for her burial."

Korra nodded slowly. She hadn't even thought about who this woman's family might be, or if someone out there was missing their daughter or their mother...

"Hold on!" Tenzin spoke up, stepping forward to where the police had started to hoist the gurney, "She's got a tattoo just over her heart here where she was stabbed. I've seen it before somewhere..."

"Get a picture!" Lin barked at the nearest officer, "Can you remember where Tenzin?"

The airbender patriarch frowned, his brow creasing in deep furrows as he searched his memories for the answer he was looking for.

"No. I know I've seen it before, but I just can't recall where..." He sighed as the camera behind him flashed to take a picture of her bloodstained skin.

An instant later, the officer cried out in shock and hit the ground unconscious as the camera in his hands exploded in a shower of sparks. The group turned in time to see a man dressed black and grey tones drop from one of the overhanging trees and take out the other officer with a single strike to the throat.

"HEY!" Mako yelled, running forward, pulling back his fist and throwing a column of flame right at the intruder who'd turned his back in order to scoop the woman's lifeless body into his arms.

The man man made no move to get out of the way, instead shifting the woman's body in his arms, when a smoke pellet came out of nowhere and struck Mako squarely in the face. The flames collided with the tree in a shower of splintering wood and embers, as the pellet spewed a thick black smoke around them.

Korra and Tenzin were the first to recover, twin whorls of air clearing the smoke in time to catch sight of the man running full-bore for the city with the body in his arms.

Both Lin and Tenzin stepped forward, their sights set firmly on this interloper as both air and metal went flying after him with a single sharp movement from the two master benders. He might have been fast, but there was no outrunning bending like this. A wall of air would knock him to the ground, and the thin coil of metal was reared back like a snake ready to strike-

They moved like blurred shadows, two more figures emerging seemingly from the very ether around them. They struck at the same time, in perfect synchronization, each planting a foot hard in the small of each of the bender's backs, before two fingers jabbed hard at the base of their skulls. Lin and Tenzin dropped wordlessly to the ground, their attacks dropping away with them as their attackers bolted after their companion.

"Chief!"

"Tenzin!"

Mako and Korra rushed to the side of their respective elders, a wave of relief washing over them to see the two conscious, if not groggy and disoriented.

"Don't let them get away!" Asami shouted, running up beside them, "I'll take them to get help, you guys stop those three before they get away!"

"Right!" Mako nodded, jumping to his feet and after the retreating trio, "Bolin! Come on!"

"What?! Me?" Bolin squeaked, taking off after his brother, "Hey you saw what they did to Tenzin and Chief Beifong!"

"Will you just come on!?"

Korra, however, needed no prompting as she surged forward; black clad intruders set firmly in her sights. Attacking her mentor and friends was reason enough for her wanting to bury these fools for deep in the bedrock they'd never see daylight again. But anyone that would defile the scene of such a sickening crime and make off with a body? She'd make sure they didn't just end up in jail.

She'd see to it they'd rot there.

"Guys!" Korra shouted at the two bending brothers, "Split up, each take one of them so they can't tag-team you! I've got their leader!"

"Are you sure, Korra?" Mako shouted back at her, "What if he-"

"I'm sure!" She cut him off before he could finish, a ball of air forming under her feet as she lept atop it and zipped after her fleeing target.

It wasn't hard to see where they'd escaped the park, leaving a heap of unconscious metalbenders in their wake. A few were trying to take up a pursuit, when Korra went blazing by in a gust of wind, tossing them around like toys. Mako and Bolin were on her heels, fire and earth giving them the boost of speed their own legs would have never been able to achieve. Anything that wasn't bolted down, went flying in all directions as they shot down the street after the three suspects. It didn't take more than a moment for them to realize they were being followed, and each black clad figure suddenly split off in their own directions. Mako and Bolin each followed suit, leaving Korra to barrel ahead after her quarry.

He might have had a head start, but he was on foot. It only took a moment before she'd pulled within a few yards of him, and let the ball of air she rode dissipate with a flick of her hand. Her heel met the ground first, forcing a pillar of rock blasting up into the air under his feet. But instead of sending him flying, she watched him almost ride the rising plinth of rock.

She tried again, repeatedly pulling earth from the ground to block his progress with one hand, and hurdled fire with the other. Nothing connected. The earth made to hamper his progress became a shield, allowing him to duck an weave through the maze of jutting rock as fire struck harmlessly against it's surface. And when it wasn't protecting him, it was a ladder, letting him climb from one tiered ledge to another, before he flipped onto the roof of the nearest building and resumed his escape.

"Oh no!" Korra yelled, as a flat slab of earth hurled her into the air like a springboard, "GET BACK HERE!"

She rolled as she landed on the roof, in time to see her target jump the gap to the next building. With a growl she rolled back to her feet and sprinted after him, hopping from roof to roof as he did. She lashed out with airbending, a gust of wind surging forward like a solid blade. He twisted at the last second, letting the air slip past him, though he'd not managed to escape entirely unscathed this time, as she watched a small scrap of the mask that covered his face tear away.

"What's wrong!?" Korra bellowed, "I thought you _wanted _to get my attention! Or did you decide you needed to defile her body more before you let the police have it!"

What ever response she was expecting, to see the man come to a skidding halt was certainly not it. Worried it was some ploy to lure her into a trap, Korra stopped too, now only a few yards from where he stood stock still. He turned slightly toward her, and for the first time she saw the body in his arms.

In her shock that someone would be so bold to steal a body out from under the nose of the Chief of Police _and _the Avatar, she hadn't noticed he hadn't simply picked up the body like a sack of grain. Instead, she was cradled in his arms. He held her close to his chest as if she were only sleeping, rather than nothing more than the husk of a life that once was.

Now he faced her, and Korra could see a single eye, the same blue color that burned at the very heart of a fire, staring back at her with an intensity that made her take a step back.

"Go home, Avatar." He commanded in a deep bass that seemed to reverberate in the air around her, "This war is not yours."

Korra shook off the uneasy feeling that seemed to settle in around her at the sound of his voice.

"Look buddy, I don't know who you think you are," She growled at him, "but if you think you're just going to get away with taking a body from a crime scene, then you've got another thing coming! Now stand down!"

"No."

"Fine!" Korra cracked her knuckles, "Then I get to do this the hard way."

He didn't even so much as flinch as Korra charged him again. Fire danced around her fist as she drew it back to strike at his head. He made no move to dodge her, save for a small flick of his fingers she noticed a second too late.

Smoke pellets, and others filled with small amounts of explosives detonated under her feet, sending her sailing through the air, before the roof rushed up to meet her. She landed hard, in a less than graceful heap, coughing from the smoke and eyes burning for the same reason. She tried to cover her mouth and nose as she brought one fist down hard against the roof, blowing the noxious smoke away in a single gust of air.

It took her a moment to clear her head as she looked around, but her eyes didn't tell her anything she didn't already know.

The man had vanished, along with the body.

* * *

GotC: Aaaaaaaaand cue dramatic music! So get used to this. I have a fondness for cliffhangers that borderlines on obsession, so yeah. This kind of thing will happen a lot. Anyway, sorry for not posting this sooner, but I came down with the flu. But I'm better and rearing to go! So if you liked/hated/would like to throttle me, then don't forget to review and I'll catch you all in the next chapter! LATERS!


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